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Tag Archives: video games

I have played several of the Tomb Raider games and when I initially heard of the 2013 reboot, I was pretty excited, wary but excited. I was nervous because the last few Tomb Raider games seemed kind of lack luster.

So my roommate and I went in together and bought the game for the house.

Ok I have to warn everyone out there, when you first start the game prepare to be frustrated. The controls are hard to maneuver and your combat level is really low. It feels like a struggle. Which is exactly how I think it was meant to feel.

I have yet to finish the game, but even now a little more than half way through, I have a different outlook on the game.

Seriously, when I first started it, I was dying left and right and there were too many people, the odds were always against me.

But, as you progress, you gain skills, weapons, combat experience and better control of the character.

I was taking on several guys after losing the majority of my weapons and I realized I was doing pretty well. I felt the controls were less spastic, even Lara had a change in attitude. In the beginning she was very hesitant and continually doubted if she could do whatever it was she was about to do. Then, as the adventure grew harder and darker she was changing, now giving herself self affirmations, “I can do this.” At the point of game I am currently playing, Lara’s whole outlook has done a 360. In one moment she actually screams, “That’s right run, I’m coming for you!”

The turn around is great, especially for a reboot. I almost started to not like the game because of the controls starting out, but in retrospect it was a smart decision. To literally feel like your helpless, and you actually doubt Lara builds the story and makes for a more realistic gameplay. At 18, Lara would not start out immediately as this brutal fighter, but develop into one. This game tells THAT story.

So if you started Tomb Raider and abandoned it for reasons I almost did, or if you were too wary to even pick it up, I urge you to give it a chance. The plot is great, the character development is some of the best and the tombs are beautiful. And trust me the controls get better.

I read an article today in Entertainment Weekly, titled Under the Gun, about gun violence and its relation with movies, television, and video games. I was impressed that the writer was able to put the article out while maintaining a solid voice that took a stand against the violence, but did not divert the anger in different directions.

Often times, arguments regarding highly emotional issues tend to become saturated with those emotions to the point that the argument is lost. For example, someone who feels so passionately about an issue often tries so hard to persuade others to see their side that they do not balance what they say. Others who hear this passionate argument take offense and drive fast the other way. So what happens is you end up with two extreme views while most people sit somewhere in the middle.

I think some of the actors and other Hollywood industry people had some very intelligent comments on the issue. Whether they thought that violence in entertainment was a valid blame for violence in real life or not, their comments made sense and were well thought out.

My big disappointment with the article was the section devoted to video games.

I love video games, I grew up with video games, and video games have always been a thing to blame acts of violence on. So when the article was able to only gather 2 video game industry people (not for a lack of trying) to comment, I was disappointed.

I understand that the video game industry is a very secretive one because of how their products are made and sold and maybe it is a good thing for them to keep their mouths shut, because the industry is known for being the punching bag of many parents, educators, and others looking to place blame on anything but the individual, but it is highly disappointing to have people from the other corners of entertainment stand up and start intelligent conversations about the connection of violence and entertainment, while another corner, one that so many people are involved with, who have very strong fan bases, sits out.

(I know very long sentence, breathe)

Anyways, like the writer of this article noted, many games actually show the consequences of violence, are saying very “interesting things.”